45 minutes

Here’s a followup to my post about getting started, specifically about writing.

The amount of time I make myself sit down and earnestly try to write every day is 45 minutes. Once I’ve given it my best for 45 minutes, if it’s not in me that day, I can stop. I rarely do.

To me, 45 minutes is enough time to get through my initial laziness and reluctance to work (10-25 minutes) and get some good writing in before the time limit runs out. I get over the hump and into the clear for a little while, which is what makes me want to keep going when the 45 minutes is over. That’s why I rarely stop. By then I’m having fun. Why would I want to stop?

45 minutes is also a drop in the bucket compared to the hours I spend writing most days, which makes it easier to get started. That’s a crucial part of my just-get-started framework, so don’t forget it.

This has been working for me, but maybe it won’t work for you. Test it out and see for yourself. Whatever you do though, find what works for you and get started. No one else is going to do it for you.